by Musavir Wani, Kashmir – April 2012

The fate of the Kashmiri people is up for grabs – hopes for a peaceful future in the hands of either a repressive Indian rule or with militant avengers who claim to be standing up for the peoples’ rights and independence.

But after almost three decades of turmoil, we are still pawns – either of Indian security forces, Kashmiri and Pakistani militants or the Pakistani government which hopes to takeover Kashmir. None of these parties wants Kashmir to become an independent state.

Despite all of their promises that life in Kashmir will be better under their rule, we are no better off. In fact things here are much worse and our fight for independence remains an elusive dream.

People live in constant fear and danger of dying from daily bombings. Markets are routinely closed as soon as the sun sets. Night life in the valley no longer exits. No one leaves their home without their identity card.  Living a normal life is not possible.

Kashmir’s latest avenger is the Separatists movement – a group comprised of former militants who came together after violence broke out in 1990 against the Indian government. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, its most senior leader, Yasin Malik, a former militant, now leader, Umar Farooq, the head cleric of the Grand Mosque in Srinagar, and others claim to be the ones who will bring about our independence. But despite their emotional speeches intended to rouse support, there is no unanimity in their message as to what steps we must take to proceed.

Moreover, their vision for the future is unknown. Do the Separatists want an autonomous government, Indian troop withdrawal, or an alliance with Pakistan? Are we supposed to protest against ruthless killings? With next steps unanswered how can we take these so-called leaders seriously?

Repressive Indian policies and human rights violations have created a lot of despair, most especially amongst the youth who don’t see a future for themselves. In fact, many people are coming to realize that there isn’t much daylight between the behavior of the current despotic regime and the Separatists.

If the Separatists honestly cared about our fate as they claim, they would be encouraging us to boycott Indian businesses such as Hindustan Petroleum, Indian-made mobiles, India-run airlines, and other Indian businesses here. If they really cared about our future, they would enforce similar strategic tactics that Mohatma Gandhi did when India did when India won its independence from Britain.

While the Separatists insist Pakistan is easier to deal with than India, they still send their kids to the top Indian colleges and their healthcare is met at Indian private hospitals.  Syed Ali Shah Geelani received care at Mumbai’s top hospital, Tata Memorial where he underwent seven surgeries, including two for carcinoma. Furthermore, all the Separatists maintain the use of Indian security forces.

After 20 years of supposedly “fighting for us,” the only thing the Separatists have changed is their standard of living – not ours. All we’ve received are brow-beating lectures intended to agitate protest and promote us to defy the curfews mandated by the Indian government.

The strange thing is, the Separatists don’t lead us in these actions knowing very well that this kind of civil disobedience is met with house arrest. If they really cared about Kashmir’s future, they would be on the front lines along with us. It’s far too easy to provoke work shutdowns, strikes and protests if the economy isn’t impacting them in any real way. But it is the common man who works for an entire day just to be able to afford a single meal. Without work, there are no meals.

The Separatists don’t seem to understand this as they also don’t seem to understand the miseries faced by the common man. They enjoy the good life. Their children are typically sent abroad to study – away from the tensions in Kashmir. They don’t seem to understand that illiterate Kashmiri families want their children to be educated, too, so they can lead a better life without strife.  Studying at home won’t promote students to the next level.  Without good teachers, who creates the promise of success for the future of our country?

Today every Kashmiri knows that these so-called leaders are good for nothing.  As a country and as a people, we have lost dearly over these last 30 years.  Every family has lost at least one loved one for “the cause.”

While it is said that many Islamic organizations help by sending financial compensation for families’ suffering, the pain and misery that is our daily experience persists. What seems more certain by the day is that the Separatists are not likely to pave the way for Kashmir’s future and neither is the Indian government which is responsible for thousands of ruthless killings, and terrible atrocities committed against our people.

The future appears grim. Until a true Leader steps forward, Kashmir’s independence will be lost. The country needs such a Leader – someone who has a vested and sincere interest in our country moving forward – someone who takes our quest for freedom seriously – someone who understands the gravity of the current situation on the ground – someone who understands and has felt the pain of the common man. Only then will every Kashmiri citizen be able to envision a successful future for themselves. Until then, we will continue to protest because we have no other choice.

By Julien Petit, Sweden – March 2012 (Interviews translator, Deborah Bridle-Suprenant)

Drinking a coffee in the town-centre of Lund (Sweden) Simet, 24, remembers her long journey out of Iraq.  She was seven in 1995 when her family left Iraq.  Her parents didn’t want Simet’s eldest brother, then 15, to serve in the military – a service that would likely end in death.

The journey out of Iraq was very difficult for her and her travelling companion, her mother, who believed that people along the way would likely be more sympathetic and accepting of them because they were female refugees out of Iraq.

“I remember everything,” Simet said, “the hunger, the thirst, but most of all the fear [of being caught].  We could spend days with nothing to drink or eat.  We were on the move all the time – walking and hiding.  We had to reach Sweden so we would reunite the family in a safe place. I knew we had to keep silent. I never cried, even when I was hungry or tired. I did it for my family.”

Now a grown woman, Simet works as a nurse in Lund. But she remains deeply saddened by the events in Iraq today. “When I see the news on television, I’m shocked by all the horrors. I’d like to go back there and do something for my country but I don’t know if I could live there again.”

Leaving Iraq turned out to be a good decision for Simet and her family in light of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died since the U.S. invasion – including those who caught up in ethnic and religious violence that persists today.

But their escape to safety hasn’t entirely protected Simet and her family.  Their current threat comes in the form of the practice of their religion.

You see, Simet and her family are Mandaeans – born into a religious order older than either Islam or Christianity. Founded along the Tigris River in Iraq well over 2000 years ago, Mandaeans follow the teachings of John the Baptist whose religious precepts precede his being baptised by Christ.

With the Mandaean religion there are no converts.  You are either born Mandaean or you’re not.  Mandaeans do not accept converts and they even speak their own language. In fact, their beliefs are different from any other Middle Eastern monotheistic faith.

Being a member of a minority faith is very dangerous in Iraq today.  Hatred against these groups is rife – whereas prior to the U.S. invasion these groups lived in relative peace. Many people attribute the U.S. invasion as having given rise to what has become rampant fanaticism in the country today.  Many Iraqis believe that although the US removed Saddam Hussein from power – and that was a good thing – the power vacuum has given rise to terrible violence and bloodshed.

In just the Mandaean community there have been over 175 reported deaths and 271 kidnappings (their whereabouts unknown) between 2003 and 2011 as documented by a Mandaean human rights group – the real number of victims is likely higher because people don’t report violence to the authorities, fearing retaliation.  While about 60,000 Mandaeans are scattered around the globe, only 5000 Mandaeans remain in Iraq.

Today, in Southern Sweden there are over 2000 Mandaeans.  One of them is 53 year old Falah Alhaider.  Alhaider who left Iraq for Sweden in1988, opened the Mandeiska Kulturföreningen – an association for displaced Mandaean families in 1994.

While the growth in their religious community is a good thing, Alhaider said, “We believe that our religion will disappear in 30 or 50 years time.”

“There are many difficulties involved in the practice of the religion,” he said.  “Mandis have special needs. Water has to cross the [temple] buildings as baptism is the most important Mandaean ritual. Actually, Mandaean refugees don’t have such places [to go to] in their host countries so they use swimming pools or lakes in summer for [these] rituals. Our future is very bleak. We receive no help and we have no place to pray.”

Alhaider left Iraq when Saddam Hussein came to power. “My brother died under his regime but now the situation is even worse than it was. Saddam’s was a cruel dictatorship, but at least we had rules.”

Although the war is over peace is a distant dream for those living near the Tigris River.   “[Before] you never asked anyone if he was a Shiite, a Sunni, a Christian or a Mandean,” said Alhaider. “Now you can be targeted by the way you live, by your religious practices”.

Because they represent such a small community in Iraq, Mandaeans don’t have any power. No one hears their desperate calls for help. According to Alhaider, neither the Iraqi government nor the coalition forces have focused on this.

“When the war ended, we were really hopeful,” Alhaider said. “I sold everything I had here [in Sweden] and went back to Iraq in 2003. But everything had changed.  There was a real chaos. I had to go back to Sweden three months after I arrived because the situation was too dangerous.”

Today, many Iraqis are leaving.  As they travel through Middle-East and Europe, many of them die or disappear – sometimes victims of human trafficking. Indeed, it’s a very long road for desperate people who are ready to brave extreme situations in order to save their families.

“The price of leaving Iraq is too high,” Alhaider said. “[People] have to sell their house and everything they own. When the refugees arrive here, they have nothing left.”

Alhaider does what he can to help those Mandaeans immigrating to Sweden.  Through Mandeiska Kulturföreningen refugees are welcomed and taught Swedish customs, but resources are scant. “We have almost nothing, not even a place to meet. It’s too small in here,” Alhaider said.

The only support these refugees have is their contact with other Mandaeans who are probably no better off. “We are one big family,” said Alhaider, who while bringing the community of refugees together also stresses the importance of never forgetting those who stayed in Iraq. “We raise money to help the Mandeans who couldn’t afford to escape.”

While preserving their religious practices is imperative so is assimilation into their host country.  Any refugee who steps out of line and is arrested is automatically deported back to Iraq.

Typically those who assimilate and readjust to their new life in the West leave their Mandaean traditions behind.  This poses a threat to the survival of their culture. Even Alhaider’s 22 year old son, Rawaa, who was born in Sweden and who works for the Wasa baking company in their marketing department no longer strictly follows Mandaean traditions. “You have to speak the language, dress in country’s fashion and listen to the western music of course,” Rawaa said.

But he’s quick to admit he’ll never forget his Mandaean roots.  He says given the circumstances, the practices of his religion will be different.  “When I get married, I will have a mixture of cultures in my home because you can’t live outside of society.” That won’t be a problem with the Mandaean association in Sweden as there are ceremonies, dinners, celebrations where traditional dances and music is performed, providing a good opportunity for the younger generations to learn more about the religion’s origins.

“It’s our duty to teach our culture to our children,” Rawaa said. “It maintains a link between the generations.” Certainly social networks, like Tweeter and Facebook also help the community to keep the link between its members alive.

Unfortunately, it is not enough. While Muslim and Christian refugees can seek help from much larger religious communities around the world, the Mandeans have few places to go to find places of support, understanding of their traditions and worship.  And so while the Iraqi inferno continues to attack the Mandaean’s history, new generations of Mandaeans are growing up in exile thousands of miles from the waters of the Tigris River.

It is almost 8:00 p.m. in Shenzhen and the city is alive with people out on the streets. One of the largest cities in China – famous for being one of the first model economic zones designated by Deng Xiaoping to open to the outside world – Shenzhen has been a magnate for people from all over the country looking for employment opportunities.

Shenzhen is also home to the Foxconn assembly plant which manufactures iPhones and iPads for the American company Apple for international consumption. But the working conditions in the factory are not as special as the city beyond its doors. Long 12 hour days and sweatshop conditions have caused several workers at Foxconn to commit suicide. But it is largely because of the blue collar workers at Foxconn that Shenzhen remains economically vibrant– a dramatic contrast to the economic ups and downs experienced around the rest of the country.

Across town, Pony and her friends are working on a joint venture project between China and Europe Union-CEIO. Although the drive for profit is not the main focus of organization, Pony and her friends work just as hard as their friends at the Foxconn.

“I changed my hairdo,” Pony tells me. “Sure, it looks very beautiful,” I say. Then she bursts into laughter. Her hair is dyed brown and it falls to her shoulders with curls on the end. “It is one of the most popular styles these days,” she says. “We call it the Ewha (pear flower) hairdo. It is from Korea.”

28 year-old Pony is a huge fan of Korea. She likes their entertainment products and she prefers to dress her three year-old son in the latest Korean fashions. She’s not the only one. Jane, one of her colleagues, is learning Korean so that she can enter a recording session for the very popular Korean television show, SBS Star King (the Korean version of American Idol), which is open to anyone – even those living outside of Korea.

“Isn’t it too far away or too time-consuming to fly to Korea only for a recording session,” I ask. Pony says, “You underestimate her fever for Korea. She will be more than happy to pay more to sit in the same room as the Korean TV stars”

Like Pony, most post-80s and post-90s generations – as they are referred to in China – like beautiful things and the ability to express themselves. Unlike their parents who didn’t have much money and were educated with Communist Confucius ascetic propaganda, these 20 and 30 year olds are materialistic diehard fans of online shopping. Interestingly enough, many of the products these young professionals buy are from Korea.

Korea has been masterful in marketing such things as TV shows, movies, clothes, accessories, electronics, and more throughout Asia. As a result, products are typically labeled, Korean-designed or Korean-styled so as to lure buyers and increase sales.

In particular, romantic stories and aesthetic movies from Korea have filled a void in Chinese entertainment. The famous stars in the Korean TV shows and movies are very popular and post 80s and 90s generations go crazy over them.

While a growing number of young people have their heads wrapped around this kind of self-indulgence, others are concerned that going down this road will take the focus off of other pressing issues in China.

“You know, many people may not be content with the current government but very few would do anything to change it,” 26 year-old Fang said. “On the contrary, people are chasing after positions in the political system.” But, Fang suggests, perhaps it’s for different reasons. Young people believe that if they can anchor a job in  any department of government they will have power, money, and a cushy retirement replete with a vast assortment of subsidies, a tax-free career and many other benefits.

But the truth may not be that simple. “China has deviated from its original track of reform,” Pony said, “and the result is a society with a bigger gap between wealth and poverty. We can see the consequences already. There are more and more faceless John Doe’s who can’t afford life’s rocketing expenses. Also more and more merchants are poisoning the public just to make a profit. Now, we don’t know if we even have safe food. We need to worry about safety for our kids [because] we don’t feel protected by our own country, not a bit.”

Government’s apparent indifference to the people was recently the focus of a weibo (the Chinese counterpart of Tweet as Twitter has been blocked in the country). When news spread over the internet that a Japanese tourist lost his bike in Wuhan (an inner land port in China) the municipal government dispatched nearly all of its police officers to search for the missing bicycle.  Miraculously it was found and returned a few days later.

Many people believe that the bicycle was recovered because it belonged to a tourist and similar diligence is never directed to help the Chinese people. There have been many similar reports of stolen property and authorities falling short of their responsibilities when incidents involve Chinese residents. “[The police] told me that these cases happen too often [and] they can’t invest their valuable resources on my stolen iPhone,” 30 year-old Janice said. Janice could only afford to buy an iPhone after she had worked long hours and saved up two months’ salary.

But young people are picking up the gauntlet and acting proactively beyond the limitations of virtual space. Last year young people assumed a leadership role in fighting against government corruption and dictatorship in a series of protests in Wukan, a village in southern China. People there were angry that the local government illegally sold land and accepted bribes from real estate developers. They protested for their legal right to elect their officials – something they haven’t been allowed to do for over the past 40 years despite the fact that it is Chinese law.

With dissatisfaction growing with government officials and a working environment that feels like indentured servitude, the question remains, would Pony and her peers emigrate if they had the chance?

“Of course I would,” Pony said, decisively. Pony was equally decisive in letting me know that America would not be at the top of her list of places to go – she’s not a big fan. “I dislike the discrimination over there and I can’t see myself feeling safe there, either,”

But if generations post-80s and post-90s leave China, who will be left behind to contribute to the progress of China – just those seeking power and money in government positions?

“No, I have faith in people,” 28 year-old Yanzi answered, sharply. Yanzi works for Institute for Civil Society, the top civil humanitarian advocacy group in China.  His work is focused on helping college students become more engaged in community affairs. “The civic education my friends and I are working on will make sure the people younger than us will be better citizens than any generation before.”

By Jack Huang, China – December 2011

Along with China’s rise as a major economic world power has come something highly unexpected –an increase in zhiyauanzhe, or volunteerism. While zhiyuanzhe dates back to Chairman Mao, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who hoped to “teach good to people” through government controlled endeavors, volunteerism in China today is largely driven by university students – students who have learned that as the rich have gotten richer, the poor have been left behind. Taking the country’s future in their hands, a rising number of young people are working to educate China’s poorest rural population.

Twenty year old Ken Chan is one such student who understands that through education comes opportunities. Chan, himself, might not have gone to university were it not for his junior high school teacher who refused to give up hope in him when nearly everyone else had.

Traveling throughout China in the late 1990s Chan saw many young people from Hong Kong volunteering as teachers in remote rural areas of China where few, if any, educational resources existed. More teachers were desperately needed in these makeshift schools which lacked libraries, art materials, and internet.   .

Chan dedicated himself to making a difference. He founded Lighthouse, a non profit organization that connected remote rural areas of China with university students activating a peer-to-peer educational program providing learning opportunities for all concerned. Along with his friend Sijie Yin, a graduate from Lingnan College, Chan trained teacher volunteers and placed them in schools throughout Guangzhou province.

But despite the media attention Lighthouse received for this charitable work, the founders quit. Lighthouse seemed doomed to extinction leaving only a few university student volunteers shouldering the responsibilities of keeping the organization going.

Twenty year old Ning Gan was one of those students who didn’t want Lighthouse to fail. Her passion to make a difference in positively affecting the lives of more than 30 million people living in and around the city of Guangzhou caused her to think of ways to further Lighthouse’s achievements.

With only a few dollars left in the till, Ning, without any experience in running an NGO, said she experienced some pretty challenging days. She reached out to friends who had graduated from university asking them to donate a portion of their salaries to help those served by Lighthouse.

Passion with an infusion of funding gave Lighthouse a new beginning. Today, more than 6000 students in rural China have benefited from the Lighthouse program and more than 2000 student volunteers who teach children from primary school to high school have acquired over 300,000 accumulated teaching hours.,

Ning now has a board of directors who help her develop a network of experienced teachers in top urban schools who donate their time to teach.  Through the peer-to-peer education the Lighthouse continues to open the eyes of volunteer teachers to the needs of those who are amongst China’s poorest citizens while they provide an educational need.

Committed to extending its reach, Lighthouse is developing strategies to augment their program to reach other rural areas outside Guangzhou province. Ning has also created outreach campaigns that have attracted new partners such as CITI bank, FedEx, Allianz, etc.

Celebrating their 10th anniversary Ning and her friends are moving forward with other plans that will further close gap in the educational system China. But despite its success, the organization still needs more resources. Should you wish to support the organization, you can contact Ning at goldbell303030@126.com. The official website of Lighthouse is: http://www.lighthouse.org.cn (Chinese version).

By Julia Lescova, California –  August 2011

It wasn’t easy growing up penniless.  My father left home when I was only two leaving my mother, brother and I to fend for ourselves. My mother had dedicated her life to my father. After the divorce she wanted to throw herself under a train – even after all of the drinking, the horrible signs of his unfaithfulness and the waiting for him as he would go missing for weeks.  After the divorce we had nothing.

To this day I don’t understand how my father could have abandoned us. How can any man abandon his wife and kids leaving them to starve and just disappear?  Sadly this is very common in Eastern Europe.

Maybe men from Latvia, which is where I am from, feel they need to escape.  Life was certainly very difficult for everyone after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  There was a lot of unemployment and not enough money to help support struggling families.

But for single parent households like ours, life was particularly difficult. We lived in a one room apartment in the city of Daugavpils.  Our apartment was so small two people couldn’t pass at the same time. We never had much to eat – mostly bread, butter and tea.  Sometimes we had oats or potatoes.  On good days we had milk and eggs and tomatoes.  It’s no wonder I’m a very bad cook – I was never around a lot of ingredients or spices.

My mom, who had been a chemistry and biology teacher, couldn’t pay the bills on her teaching salary and so we collected a lot of government debts – debts to pay for our apartment, food, utilities, etc.   With two kids to support my mother worked other jobs just so we could survive.

Sometimes she would leave us for weeks and travel abroad buying shoes, cosmetics, perfumes and other goods from Belorussian companies to sell in the marketplace in Latvia.  To pay off our debts, she worked for free cleaning the children hospital. The more she worked for the state, the more our debts were paid off.

New clothes were out of the question. I owned only one pair of jeans.  Mean kids would sometimes say, “winter and summer, the same color” – meaning I always wore the same pair of jeans and the same sweater or blouse.

I remember being sick a lot – mostly when I was around 12-14 years old. My mom used to cry because she couldn’t stop me from getting a cough and flu. She prayed to God all the time. That’s what kept her going – her beliefs and prayers. We used to pray together.

My told me that God had planned the best future for me – that I would be very lucky.  She believed in me and wanted me to have a better life than she had.  God would make sure of it – looking after me and protecting me.  Prayers made me happier.  I didn’t worry about anything.  I knew it was all going to be alright.  I felt safe.

Maybe it was because I was a loner in school that I became a reader.  I think I was the only student who read all of the required summer books.  I worked hard in school and got recognition from my teachers. I took dance lessons at school and ended up dancing professionally for seven years.  I loved dance competitions –winning first or second place. This recognition helped me build confidence in myself.

My mom worked hard so I could develop talents like playing the piano – and it all paid off.  At the age of 15 I joined a modeling academy and shortly thereafter I was noticed by Latvia’s leading modeling agency.

I was invited to go to Milan, the fashion capital of the world, at age 16 to start a modeling career.  I started traveling around the world.  At 16,  I hadn’t even seen the Baltic Sea for which Latvia is famous but by the age of 21, I had been to Milan, London, Athens, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, and Istanbul.

I modeled for Pierre Cardin, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Bvlgari, Valentino, Loewe, Giambattista Valli, La Perla and Armani and graced the pages of top fashion magazines. I won “Best model of the world” in 2006.  A Turkish soap opera, “Two Strangers” had me on four episodes.  In addition to speaking Russian and Latvian I learned to speak Italian, Turkish and English on my travels.

I live in America now – another dream come true thanks to my mother and the strong role model she was for me as a young girl. Hard to believe that my brother and I were basically thrown into the world and had to make it by ourselves.

Would things have been different if I had a father?  It’s hard to say.  In some ways I believe my father’s absence contributed to my drive and passion to pursue a career.  But I also understand how important it is to have the love of both parents – kids miss a lot in life if they’ve lost one or both parents. Parents are our first guides, supporters, and providers of security and confidence.

Maybe I was luckier then other kids in the world who grow up without one or both parents.  Somehow I was able to get out of deep hole. Kids are vulnerable, weak and innocent victims of hardships. But I’ve learned that if you work hard for things you think you deserve you will get them even if there is no one by your side.  When you realize that there is nothing to lose, risk can’t scare you.

By Ashley Inman, Florida – August 2011

            A chilling story of a couple travelling through Mexico from Central America to the United States ends in death. Kidnapped by thugs, the couple is blindfolded, bound, gagged and taken to an unidentified building where they are separated. Through the wall, the husband hears his wife cry out in pain. When the screaming stops, he is let into the room. There he sees his wife’s body on a table, her torso carved open – her kidneys and heart missing.

            Such is the story that Antonio Medina recounts to the on line Al Jazeera last May. But it is a story that could be told anywhere in the world – a story about unsuspecting people falling victim to a growing lucrative business: the sale of organs.

            Sometimes it’s a story of choice. This April, a Chinese teenager, unbeknownst to his parents, sold his kidney for around 20,000 yuan ($3,000 USD) so he could buy the new iPad 2.  But more often the sale of organs is a story involving illegal trafficking.

            In fact, a growing number of illegitimate medical organizations exploiting the growing demand for organs.  In the US alone, the organ-transplant list grows every 10 minutes, with 100,000 people in need of life-saving transplants. Needs are not often which has given rise to a black-market that wheedles money out of needy recipients: $100,000 for a kidney, $270,000 for bone marrow, $400,000 for a lung – dark incentives for pernicious middlemen.
            Often, indigent persons are persuaded to go under the knife for as little as $1,000 for their kidneys. Sometimes people are killed in makeshift surgeries for their organs.

            But it is the poor who are most often affected – describing such procedures as ideal ways to provide income for their families. Sometimes these organ donors are not made aware of the health consequences of their sacrifice. Naïve, uneducated and uninformed about the long-term repercussions of the procedure they sign up for they are further victimized by incision wounds that never heal or become infected.  In an ironic twist of fate, sometimes it is the donors, themselves, who end up needing the very organ they donated. 

            Some people argue that the lack of cadaveric or deceased donations has given rise to this organ transplant black market. But “expressed consent” donor policies instituted in many countries is often at odds with native cultures which believe that bodies must be intact upon burial in order to pass on to the next life. Sometimes donors are ostracized from their cultures for mutilating their bodies.

            Nonetheless, approximately 18 people die daily from want of an organ transplant. Even more die from organ trafficking. The horrors must end: nations must instigate what is known as “presumed consent” laws on cadaveric donations. This means that a deceased individual is presumed to have donated his organs to the state, unless the individual or his/her family has used an opt-out alternative.

            Furthermore, the institution of transplantation infrastructure in hospitals to promote more deceased donation must be initiated, along with providing monetary or health benefit incentives to cadaveric donors’ families, in order to persuade them to allow cadaveric donation.

               The international community must protect the exploited live donors in poverty-stricken areas from this growing black-market trade by instituting desperately-needed grassroots programs to educate people about the dangers of organ transplant, in order to make them more aware of the non-benefits of selling their body parts. Vacationers and travelers must be vigilant about their own security; as organ trafficking is a transnational crime, security efforts may not be coordinated between countries, leaving travelers to fend for themselves. 

             But above all, it is ultimately you, the individual, who can help alleviate this tragic problem.  Organ trafficking is a growing crime only because of the huge demand for organs. If we petition our government, advocate for presumed consent policies, the United States could become a trailblazer in ending long donor wait lists. Only in so doing can we stop the horrific victimization of the poor, the uneducated and the innocent traveler who is robbed of their organs in the most deadly fashion.

By Nicholas P. Roberts – New York – July 2011

              It is difficult to think of a democratic state that has not been created from war. History shows this to be true: from ancient Greece, to America, to Germany and Japan, democracy was forged on the battlefield.

             Even the fledgling democratic movement taking root in Egypt, while not the result of an armed conflict between two states, is controlled entirely by the military – contrary to the central democratic pillar of civilian oversight of the military and control of the state.

           This is why Tunis matters.

             Tunis is more likely to become a democracy before any other state in the Middle East. But you would never know it from the media coverage or the rhetoric of our government. For this reason alone, it should be at the top of U.S. strategic interests.

            Yet this news of Tunisia and its march toward democracy remains uncovered by Western news sources, which favor the larger, once more strategically important Egypt. But history also tells us that following a significant revolutionary movement, such as this “Arab Spring,” there should be a strategic reassessment of global geo-politics.

             That reassessment should place assisting Tunisia in achieving its democratic ideals in as short a time as possible at the top of the list. One stable democracy in the short term will do more for long-term U.S. interests in the region than waiting for democracy in Egypt or Iraq, which is likely to take far longer and come at much greater cost.

             Egypt has long marked the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in the region, and for good reason. Mubarak was a stable, relatively pro-Western and pro-Israeli partner in the fight against the “War on Terror.” But the facts on the ground in Egypt – military control of the state, pervasive poverty and urban sprawl that make ripe the situation for religious extremists – all indicate that it is not likely to be America’s Middle Eastern city upon a hill anytime soon.

              Not so for Tunisia. The country enjoys an alliance with the United States that dates back to the days of the Barbary Pirates and has the most cosmopolitan, secular, and pro-Western population of any Arabic country that also has deep ties to European countries, a promising sign for trade and the opening of markets.

             The elements are all there, says Tarek Cheniti, a consultant in Tunis to the Democratic Governance Program within the U.N. Development Program. “The military has not been involved in politics for at least the past half century. The country boasts a large, educated middle class with a well-developed political culture and willingness to defend democratic values. Moreover, the political sphere does not feature a single hegemonic force, but a multiplicity of parties that are trying to forge a centrist identity for themselves in order to win the support of the majority,” Cheniti said.

             Cheniti, who was educated at the London School of Economics and Oxford University, argues that Tunisians and others must remain patient as a strong multiparty system takes shape during the next decade – just as it did in America.

              The people are within reach. Journalists are holding the interimgovernment accountable for democratic reform. Bloggers and social media activists are ensuring that the public is aware of all that is taking place. The military is not threatening to take the country or exert leverage over politicians. Expatriate professionals are returning to help build a strong civil society. Western journalists, academics, and politicians are being invited to the country not only to oversee elections, but to assist in rebuilding its long neglected civil society.

             This, in contrast to the recent demonstration in Tahrir Square by tens of thousands of Islamists calling for an Egyptian state rooted in Islamic law, cheered on by street vendors selling portraits of Osama bin Laden. Or the recent announcement by the Egyptian military that foreign observers will not be allowed to monitor Egyptian elections.

              This is not to say that America should meddle in the affairs of Tunis. A Tunisian democracy will be created in the image of Tunis, not of Washington; the post-Iraq foreign-policy landscape dictates that America cannot shape the world in its own image. It would be wise to look to the story of post-WWII Japan and how the Japanese balanced nationalism with modernization. They were able to maintain their culture and history while also seeking the guidance of the U.S. in building a democracy.

              As Americans, we must not forget how greatly we struggled in creating our own democracy. The road ahead in Tunis is sure to be rocky. But, by staunchly supporting the Tunisian interim-government and people in achieving their goal of a democracy – even if not an ideal entity for some time – the United States will do more for its interests in the region than playing a waiting game with Egypt.

              A successful democracy in Tunis will require significant amounts of foreign investment and the people are thirsty for cultural exchange programs, public works investment projects, and secular education reform. By shifting our strategic focus towards this, while also maintaining our security interests in the region, the U.S. might have a chance at repairing its largely broken image among the Arab people.

              A democracy in Tunis could serve as an oil-spot of hope and reform for the region. The “Arab Spring,” afterall, grew entirely from the streets of Tunis, when the example of one young man – a fruit vendor – reminded the world that people have a right to shape their future.

              Now imagine what the effect on the region will be when Tunisia – free from military control and violence – declares itself the first Arab democracy.

By Jack Huang, China – July 2011

            In Guangzhou (China) a little-known theater group, the Kapok Troupe is making a name for itself taking theater to a new level. A forerunner in the novel art of applied theater, Kapok centers its performances around audience participation – encouraging those in attendance to share their reactions and personal experiences to the issues being presented.

            Given the fact that China is not traditionally a country where personal feelings are freely expressed and theater is not typically used to encourage community intervention, it’s no surprise that the Troupe has attracted a lot of attention. Not only have people traveled for hours to attend the shows, but media is taking note of the group’s mission. An editorial in Guangzhou Daily expressed surprise and delight, “To be a volunteer can be so cool!” Nonetheless, the government isn’t entirely pleased with the kind of discussions that are spawned at some of the performances.

            Founded in 2005 in southern China, Kapok uses drama to advance reform. “The idea came out of blue,’ said Datou, one of the founders. “Most of us didn’t even have a background in theater. We had taken a workshop on Forum theater [1] which was the first of its kind in applied drama. We got quite excited as the experience was unique.”

            The group decided to focus on the plights of the migrant worker community –former farmers who migrated into cities looking for more lucrative work but once there, discovered they were excluded from educational, medical and social welfare afforded to others. Indeed, these farmers quickly realized they were treated no better than undocumented workers in their own country.

           Acting out issues that confront these migrants discussions of equal rights and legal practice emerge.  These farmers soon realize they are not alone in their plight and feel empowered by the information disseminated. Members of the audience can stop the performance at any time to suggest an alternative action or even come up to the stage to participate to make a point.

            But because migrants are not highly regarded by local governments, the police have also expressed their opinions of Kapok’s theater as a source of instability. Upon many occasion they have interrupted these gatherings calling them illegal meetings. Sometimes, they dismiss migrant workers’ temporary living permits and send them back to their farms hoping to teach a lesson in being “responsible personnel.” These reactions, however, have done nothing but reaffirm the power this drama has as an art form.

             Over the next year, The Kapok theater will travel between Guangzhou and Shenzhen working with various NGOs that serve migrant workers. These organizations support the benefits derived from the Troupe’s efforts to inform migrants of their basic rights while illustrating ways for these former farmers to stay out of trouble.

            Recently, the Troupe incorporated another tool to their theater arsenal.  Called playback theater, it’s psycho drama which more directly addresses intervenes into the community settings. “Playback theater is more improvisational,” said Datou. “It was a necessity as we all have full-time jobs which left limited time to prepare and rehearse.”

            Maintaining a natural amateur style has helped the group. With the success of this drama and the arrival of three new members, the Troupe has experienced a kind of revival. Furthermore, other troupes have modeled their mission from Kapok and have cropped up not only in Guangzhou but also in Beijing, Shanghai and Yunan.

            Dedicated to promoting applied theater in China, the Kapok Troupe hosted its second and third annual Chinese People’s Theater Symposium, raising their visibility in China. “We would love our troupe to become famous for its professionalism and artistic achievement,” Datou said. “We would love the troupe to offer more seminars, symposiums, workshops and resources to promote the development of People’s Theater in China.”

            As an agenda-based, educational theater, the Troupe faces problems in meeting an annual budget. Support from NGOs, such as Oxfam, has all but dried up due to the financial crisis. Without financial support they can’t afford a full-time “cast” which costs as much as $10,000 a year. “It is our biggest obstacle” said Datou.

            Nonetheless, they have not lost hope. Public fund raising along with the establishment of a closer connection with Yanyu, a Hong Kong-based Playback Theater Troupe has helped create greater visibility.

            But the Kapok Troupe needs your help. You can write Datou: flyingelephant82@163.com; blog (Chinese):http://blog.sina.com.cn/gzkapok 

For video archives see http://www.56.com/h89/uv.videolist.php?user=kittyggg) – the goal is to enable the Troupe to bring more workshops to China and to the community so that more people can learn about the applied theater and enjoy the freedom of expression. Further, the applied theater practitioners in China will be able to physically gather each year and contribute to a beneficial community.

By Ashley Inman, Florida – June – 2011

Young professionals, fresh out of school, venture starry-eyed into the political realm, hoping to change America and the world. Looking for jobs and hoping to make a positive impact, many find themselves sorely disappointed.

Often what it takes to get ahead is an unethical dilemma and many young people are quickly learning that a growing number  institutions we rely upon operate amidst corruption – leaving job seekers with two choices -fighting the corruption-riddled institutions or gaining a job and financial success getting sucked into the corruption.

While corruption has been around as long as industry and government, today its insidious self-serving ways have not only become more prevalent, but sadly a manner of life.  Why? Perhaps it’s because we live in an increasingly-globalized and decreasingly-transparent world.

Yet we can no longer continue to turn a blind eye to corruption. If we do, we will not only struggle to meet our goals of development as a society, as investments and funds intended for projects such as overcoming the financial crisis or eliminating poverty are diverted, but those in control of such projects will continue to reap the benefits of corruption as the rest of society bears the burden of a deepening financial crisis and decreasingly-transparent government.

Corruption is the ultimate hindrance to development. It redirects investments to political institutions, promotes a lack of transparency, and threatens human security.  With its immense political, socioeconomic, and humanitarian consequences, corruption can be said to be the root of many issues in the world today – including poverty, gender disparity, and famine. At the very least, it’s an obstacle in addressing these issues.

Regrettably, corruption is not just an abstract issue, or even one that does not affect Americans. Corruption plagues our political spheres. Funds meant to improve the lives of Americans are often diverted, the social security that keeps families afloat, the insurance that helps a mother pay her daughter’s medical bills are too often severely hurt by those who siphon away from that expected check. In fact, the most conservative estimate lists the US as spending over $50 million in corrupt money.

Causes of corruption are widespread and varied but typically derive from a vacuum of governmental transparency and accountability. Lack of governmental transparency is then cultivated by the privatization of politics, whereby lobbyists and private interest groups incentivize officials to participate.

When these incentives remain veiled from the public, the tendency of administrators to make decisions in an ethical manner is diminished. The lack of accountability, or enforced action to punish these corrupt officials, further embeds corruption into the fabric of the society.

The lack of enforcement is frequently due to the problem itself. Bribes are a huge component of corruption, and those in charge of eradicating and punishing corruption are often corrupt officials themselves.

Now, this begs the question: if corruption is such a huge obstacle to development, why has no action been taken to address it? The answer is that it has – namely, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC.) Unfortunately, the UNCAC has proved ineffective largely because of a failure of national implementation.

If rule of international law fails, then what can be done?

Local and non-governmental initiatives must step up to the plate and help establish educational programs, centered on the legal consequences of corruption and the humanitarian and economic obstacles to development it imposes.

Lobbyists should push for a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, stipulating specific laws to address it, while striving to establish legal protection mechanisms and witness protection programs for whistleblowers.

And you, the individual? The single, most important weapon to the elimination of corruption lies within the silent majority.  Individuals have a voice, the power to spread the word. You have the power to write and petition local officials to join the fight against corruption in your own county, state, country, and across the globe. If we, the individuals, can synergize our efforts, young professionals pursuing careers following graduations will truly be able to effecy the change the envision for America and the world.

By Jack Huang, China – May 2011

On April 2, one of China’s most renowned artists was arrested at the Beijing International Airport.  Ai Weiwei, a prominent partner and contributor to the Beijing Olympic Stadium and a very visible social activist was taken into government custody even before he checked in for his flight to Taiwan.

Many believe Ai was arrested because he refused to accept a governmental post in the Chinese People’s Political Consultancy Conference (thought to be a propaganda agency for Beijing’s dictators).  This snub sent shock waves through the government and led to Ai being tortured for his apparent defiance.

When it became clear that torture didn’t mollify Ai, the government tried to quiet his voice by other means.  They ransacked his studio in Shanghai and took three of his employees and a volunteer captive.  To date, no one knows the whereabouts of Ai or his staff or what has happened to them.

Proof of any wrongdoing Ai may have committed has not been produced. Moreover, government has ignored Chinese law that mandates that if evidence is not produced within seven days those taken into custody must be released.

Instead, government issued a blanket statement that Ai committed an “economic crime” of tax evasion. Charges against him, as reported in English by the Xinhua News Agency, are believed to be fabricated so that the international community won’t question government’s motives.

The news story however, was retracted shortly after publication when it became known that the company named in the complaint actually belonged to Ai’s wife and it had a clean record with documentation to support its clearance.

Undaunted, officials remain determined to destroy Ai.  Their latest accusation includes the West which they claim is using the renowned artist to further a plot against the government. An opinion piece in The Global Times written under a pseudonym and widely believed to be written by someone close to Chinese Communist Party suggested that these actions are nothing more than a throw-back to colonial times and the “[attempt] of capitalist countries to install the instrument onto the backbone of the Chinese country and control us.”

In an effort to broaden their case against Ai, Chinese officials have gotten leaders in Hong Kong and Singapore to publish the same derogatory editorial in both the Wen Hui Po, the pro-Beijing newspaper in Hong Kong and The Sing Tao Daily in Singapore.  This kind of orchestrated vilification seems an eerie reminder of tactics employed during the Cultural Revolution.

But times have changed since then and government’s strategy has backfired.  The public understands that government is up to its old nasty tricks of drumming up false charges.

In a complaint to the Beijing municipal public safety bureau on April 15^th, Ai’s family and friends claimed the government wrongfully kidnapped an innocent citizen. There’s been no response from either the Chinese Department of Police or the People’s Procuratorate of Beijing city since.

Rumors that Ai will be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison are spreading throughout the country.  People believe Ai will be the next famous prisoner of consciousness  - imprisoned for ostensibly “subverting the state.” It is thought that after a year or two of torture, government might release Ai, then a beaten man, without drawing too much attention.

But rather than provoking fear, people are angry.  Many are questioning the government’s motives and a legal system that apparently can excuse the son of a powerful government official of killing someone in a car accident while enabling officials to arrest an innocent person without due cause.

Public figures like 28 year old Han Han are working hard to create awareness about government corruption and this kind of insidious activity – arguing that government is nothing more than a declining and rotting bureaucracy. Indeed, movements like Han’s are growing and many groups are taking action – like Ai Xiaoming, a feminist leader in China who recently stated that anyone could become the next Ai Weiwei, an innocent victim of government.

I believe that if government continues to meet dissent with gunpowder then let Ai WeiWei be the Sidi Bouzid of Tunisia in China.  Let his imprisonment on false charges galvanize a revolution of freedom and independence. Only a free and independent China will remove the shackles of authoritarian rule and contribute to a better world.

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